Carter Kenneth's Baptism

Thursday, March 21, 2013
Meet the newest love of my life, my godson, Carter Kenneth.  He belongs to my friend, Maurine (until I can effectively steal him, which will probably be some point after he is weened and potty trained and before I am imprisoned for stealing this bundle of adorableness).  I now have one girl (Micah) and one boy (Carter).  My heart is pretty full.  Anyone blessed with godparent duties knows it must be something like grandparent duty (don't know that feeling either).  I get to sweep in with sugar and toys, spoil them rotten.  Leave (cry).  Repeat.  Carter was born January 26th, and his Christening was February 9th (trying to beat Lent-just a few days later and his godfather (also his uncle) was leaving for a dancing job on a cruise ship for six months).  I flew in the day before and got to hold him one day shy of two weeks.  He is six pounds of the cutest, squishy-ist baby currently living on this side of the Mason Dixon line.  There is something truly magical about those first few weeks.  I rarely have held them this 'fresh.'  They let you hold him forever (and I did-hours upon hours-I tried to be a little less selfish with visitors, but I only offered him once upon their initial arrival  and then stole him back as soon as they had to sneeze/breath/blinked.  I love that they still curl up in their little ball they had been resting in for 9 months.  He curled his little legs in, put his little hands by his face, and made those baby grunting noises while he slept.
His grandmother and Mom changed him prior to going to mass and then moving over to Christening.  Look how new he is!
Their gown is amazingly sentimental-it is the fabric Maurine's grandmother used to make her wedding dress a very long time ago.  All of her children (including Carter's grandmother) were Christened in this gown.  Maurine and all her siblings were Christened in this gown.  Carter's older brother wore this gown three years ago....and now...
This is the godfather (James, Maurine's little brother-who has grown entirely too quickly-he was a preteen just yesterday...and now he adds a two before his age.  How did this happen?).
Here's big brother Donovan-who kept me in stitches.  Talk about personality.  As we went to the baptismal area he went over and went through the ritual (which I don't pretend to truly understand-James will be in charge of some of those duties-but I can definitely cover the big bible stuff).  After he placed water on his head he began asking all of us as we entered, 'Do you want some of this?'...but more than a little gangsta-the Baptist in me saw little future evangelistic maneuvers being garnered.
Here are Maurine, Derek, Donovan, James, Carter and I.
Maurine's 3 brothers and (spread all over the country now), kiddos, mom, dad, and husband.
We went to the house afterwards for cake and food.
Maurine is the oldest of the four, and bother of her brothers are now godparents to both of her kids-I loved this shot.  I also loved watching her siblings with both her boys-they truly cherish both these boys, and the same is said in reverse.  Donovan spent the weekend playing and rounding up all of his favorite people.
And then I died.
....woke up.  Died again....
Carter spent the weekend in my arms, but I was able to play some puzzles when Donovan was finished entertaining the masses.  He's got quite the one man show.  Seriously, I'm ready to book another flight out now.  If my friends would just move to the same place-I'd move so fast, no matter how far because I can't stand the separation.  Now I'm off to buy gifts for all the upcoming holidays...which include any day that ends in y.
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